Folding flag and staff therefor



March 7, 1950 u. w. PETERSON FOLDING FLAG- AND STAFF THERFFOR Filed Aug.l19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Jack. W. Peterson March 7, 1950 J. w. PETERSON FOLDING FLAG AND STAFFTHFREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1948 Fig. 5.

R. m nw M 0M A mw. I P ma w. wn .u M W m f Patented Mar. 7, 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING FLAG AND STAFF THEREFOR Application August19, 1948, Serial No. 45,046

1 Claim. l

My invention relates to improvements in folding flags and staffs for thesame.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a signal flag with astaff for planting in the ground in road construction work, along theright of way of railroads, or on the highway for general signallingpurposes, and which is especially designed for rolling up the flag,housing the same in a part of the stai and shortening the staff all soas to arrange the flag and staff in a small compact bundle for easycarrying with the lag protected against damage. y.

Another object is to provide for displaying the flag so that it isalways completely visible and will not become torn or raveled bywhipping in strong breezes.

4Still another object is to provide a flag and staff in which the aboveobjectives are attained and which is simple in construction, inexpensiveto manufacture, and Well adapted to withstand rough and prolonged use.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of my invention,together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readilyunderstood when the succeeding description and claim are read withreference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of thisspecification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my invention in a preferredembodiment thereof with the ag unrolled and unfolded;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section taken on the line2-2 of Figure 1 and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the ag housing section of the flagstaif with the ilag rolled up and folded therein, and also drawn to alarger scale;

Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section of the same, partly in sideelevation;

Figure 5 is a View in transverse section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure4 and drawn to a still larger scale;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View in side elevation with the flag unrolledand unfolded;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the flag housingsection of the ilag stall;

Figure 8 is a detailed view in section of the Ilag taken on the line 8-8of Figure 6 and drawn to a larger scale.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, according to my invention, asillustrated, a flag staff I is provided comprising a hollow,cylindrical, flag housing section 2 of any suitable metal having closedupper and lower ends 3, 4 and a substantially smaller diameter rodsection 5 with a sharp pointed anchoring end 5 for driving into theground, or the like, to arrange the staff I in upright position. Theother end of the rod section 5 is threaded, as at l, for turning into anut 8 suitably fixed, as by welding 8', in the lower end portion of theflag housing 2 in alignment with an axial hole 5l in the lower end I ofsaid section 2 through which said rod section may be inserted forturning into said nut for detachably connecting said sections 2, 5together. A longitudinal slot IQ is provided in the flag housing section2 which terminates short of the ends of said section a distance suitablefor a'purpose presently clear. The rod section 5 is dimensioned, incross section, to pass through said slot I0 into the flag housingsection 2 and is longer than the slot I0 to be retained in the naghousing section 2 by the end portions of said flag housing section. Therod section 5 is of a length such that one end thereof may be enteredinto the ag housing section 2 by inserting said end through said slot IGand then manipulating the rod section 5 endwise and laterally to passthe other end through said slot into said section 2. Thus the iiag staifI may be shortened and the rod section 5 stored in the iiag housingsection 2.

A flag supporting, metal, arm II, in the form of a flat bar is pivotedat one end thereof in the flag housing section 2 adjacent the upper endof the slot I0 by means of a cross bushing I2 on said arm II rotatableon a diametrical pivot pin I3 xed in said section 2 in any suitablemanner. The flag supporting arm II is of a length to be swung throughthe slot IIl into the flag housing section 2, into folded position, andis adapted to swing out of said section 2 by way of said slot I0 toextend at a right angle to said section 2 into unfolded position.

A catch I4 is provided for maintaining the flag supporting arm I I inunfolded position and which has the form of a flat bar hook pivoted atone end, as at I5, on the flag housing section 2 adjacent to the upperend of the slot III to be swung into aligned overlapping relation tosaid end of said slot and hooked under the ag supporting arm II. Thecatch lll frictionally engages the flag housing section 2 for swingingover the upper end of the slot I0 into friction locking engagement withsaid section to block swinging of the ag supporting arm I I out of saidsection 2 when said arm II is folded.

The ag I6 is rectangular and of any suitable fabric material with anupper edge hem I1 which is sleeved over the flag supporting arm Il andsuitably secured thereto so that in the unfolded position of said arm II the flag hangs pendent and clears the flag housing section 2 toprevent interference of the same with said section.

A metal flag stiiening strip of flat form is provided for the lower edgeof the flag is in a lower edge hein I9 on said flag in which said stripis suitably secured. The stiening strip I8 forms a weight tending tohold the iiag I6 straight.

A flexible hook 2U for anchoring the lower edge of the ag I6 is providedand which extends from one end of the stiffening strip i8 to be hookedaround the rod section 5 when the flag i6 is unfolded. The hook is ofthe snap fastener closing type.

Strips of luminous, adhesive tape 2 I, 22 are provided along the upperand lower edges ofthe flag I6 and similar strips 23 along the horizontalcenter thereof to render the flag visible at night.

A cross bar 24 is provided on the flag housing section 2- with aperturedends for securing said section by nails, or the like, not shown, inupright position to a wall, or the like, when it is desired to use theflag on a base instead of planted in the ground.

With the rod section 5 stored in the nag housing section 2, in themanner' described, the hook 2d may be disengaged from the rod section 5,the ag I8 rolled up around the flag supporting arm II, and the nagsupporting arm II then swung into slightly raised position so that thecatch I may be swung into releasing position relative to said arm. Thenthe flag supporting arm I l with the rolled up nag IB thereon may beswung into theflag housing section 2, all as shown in'Figures 4 and 5.Thus the flag IB may be folded with the flag supportingarm II with therod section 5 stored in the manner described. With the nag I6 thusfolded, the catch I4 may then be swung into aligned overlapping relationtothe upper endV of the slot l0 to confine the folded flag with the flagsupporting arm II in the flag housing section 2. The manner in which theflag i6 and the flag supporting arm II may be unfolded, and the rodsection 5 removed from the flag housing section will be obvious andrequires no explanation. As shown in Figure 5, when the flag I6 and agsupporting arm II are folded into the flag housing section 2, said flagand arm confine the stored rod section 5 in said section 2 againstaccidentally falling out of the slot II).

The foregoing will, it. is believed, suice to impart a clearunderstanding `of my invention, without further explanation.

.Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptibleof ,modicatiornWithout departing from the inventive concept, and right is hereinreserved to such modificationsV as fall within the scope of the appendedclaim.

Having described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a device of the class described, a nag staff including a hollowcylindrical section for housing a flag and having a longitudinal slottherein, a rod section detachably attached to one end of the cylindricalsection for supporting the same and adapted when detached to `beinserted through said slot into the cylindrical section for storagetherein, a flag, axflag supporting arm to which one edge of the flag isattached and about which said ag is adapted to be rolled, meansswingably mounting said arm at one end in said cylindrical section forswingingv into and out lof `the same through said slot with the flagrolled thereon, said arm with the flag rolled thereon and when swunginto said cylindrical section confining said rod section in thecylindrical section, and a catch on said cylindrical section swingablethereon to hold said arm in outswung suspended'position.

JACK W. PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED `The followingreferences are of record in the fileofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 319,851 Richardson June 9, 1885421,784 Tallman Feb. 18, 1890 1,871,667 Dalton Aug, 16, 1932 2,447,075Madsen Aug. 17, 1948

